The bird pendant and eight tabs are red plastic, bone and natural Turquoise, inlaid on old battery casings. The beads are gypsum from a mine near the Pueblo. Pendant measures 3" long, 2" wide. It's strung on cotton twine, measuring 32" long. Condition is excellent with no chips, cracks, or missing stones. It's rare to find one with the matching earrings.

These folk art necklaces, made in the 1930s and 1940s for tourists motoring through the Southwest, sold inexpensively as souvenirs in gas stations and drive-in restaurants. They were made from celluloid, gypsum, vulcanite casings from car batteries and red plastic spoons from the Dairy Queen. When they disappeared from the market, the prices began to escalate as collectors realized what a significant part of Southwestern history these necklaces had become.

Price: $1,500 (includes earrings)